Devil Rejected

Well, only 24 hours since the signing of UFA Ilya Kovalchuk, the 17 year $102 million contract has been rejected by the NHL. The league has five days to review the contract, yet it only took one for the league to determine the contract circumvents the salary cap.

More will be reported soon but I'm sure the issue has to do with the sub $1 million years at the end of Kovy's contract. Other players in the league (Hossa, Richards, Pronger, Zetterberg, etc) have similarly structured front-loaded contracts but none of those players' salary dips below $1 million.

The NHLPA can file a grievance against the league's ruling within 5 days then an arbitrator will make the final decision.

More to come.

Wild Prospect Shootout "Move"

Think he fanned on purpose?

Probert Passes at Age 45

Former NHL tough guy Bob Probert passed away today at the age of 45. Probert retired in 2002 totaling 163 goals and 384 points in 935 regular season games but was most recognized for his fighting ability. He amassed 3,300 PIMs during his 16 year NHL career. His best season came during the 1987-88 season where he had career-highs in goals, assists, points, and PIMs.

I remember the first Don Cherry Rock'em Sock'em Hockey video I got on VHS featured many Probert bouts that would pump me up for my games. Here's to you big fella, you will be missed:

FA Winners, Losers, and Question Marks

Let's take a look at some of the activities that have gone on during the free agency period:

Winners:


Vancouver Canucks - After losing in the Western Conference semifinals for the second straight year, it was obvious that the Canucks were lacking depth in their defense. A trade that brought defenseman Keith Ballard to the team and the free agent signing of Dan Hamhuis, certainly bolster the Canucks' back-end and will surely boost them to be a favorite to win the Conference.

Pittsburgh Penguins - Losing Sergei Gonchar to the Ottawa Senators prompted the signings of Zbynek Michalek and Paul Martin to round out a solid group of defensemen.

Losers:


Evgeni Nabokov and Marty Turco - The two high priced goaltenders looking for lucrative deals came up short in the offer department as they became unrestricted free agents on July 1st. Prior to free agency, the Philadelphia Flyers acquired negotiating rights to Nabokov sending a conditional draft pick to San Jose had the Flyers been able to sign Nabby. Now that Nabokov and Turco have decided to play the open market, the deals they've been looking for now seem to be absent from many teams with cap issues. It would be no surprise to see Nabby head to the KHL.

Question Marks:


Many were wondering what the bleep is Darryl Sutter thinking!? The Calgary Flames' GM have re-signed  forward Olli Jokinen to a two-year $6 million deal seven months after being traded from Calgary to New York. Also coming back to the Flames is forward Alex Tanguay after spending last season with the Tampa Bay Lightning scoring 37 points in 80 games. Tanguay had a career year with the Flames during the 06-07 season scoring 81 points in 81 games. One would think that Sutter's reign as GM is on the line if these moves do not pan out well for the Flames.